Friday 27th May 2022
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FUNCTIONAL ARTWORK If you’re interested in functional artwork, look no further than Musical Instruments as Art, at Te Huanui Gallery. Opening from 6pm on Friday, May 27th, with demonstrations from artists Paul Allen and Rua Pick, everyone is welcome as Te Huanui looks forward to holding its first official opening of 2022. Paul Allen is an amateur music enthusiast, with a fascination for the blues and rock n roll in general. After a couple of trips to the deep south of the USA, Paul became interested in Cigar Box Guitars, as well as various rough home built guitars that make sounds. Paul builds three-string shovel guitars and has market stalls where he sells vinyl records and Cigar Box Guitars for other local hobbyist builders, trading under the Rolling Retro Mobile Market. Rua Pick was born on Moturua Island, in 1968. Rua was named by Rongo Puke Ahitapu and Te Aue Hakaraia, very close family friends. He grew up with an artistic family in the Bay of Islands. During 1983 and 1984, Rua was inspired by the tutorage of Selwyn Wilson, who taught him kōwhaiwhai (painted ornamentation in Maori art, typically made up of geometric swirls) and encouraged him to pursue his creative style, empowering and enabling him to follow his artistic path. Rua’s early influences were Goya and Dali. After leaving school he studied oil painting techniques from books focusing on 17th Century Dutch Painters. He travelled to Europe in 1988. The Prado and Dali Theatre Museums were pivotal experiences on his creative journey. On returning to New Zealand with his mind
completely saturated with art, Rua moved to Whaingaroa Raglan and developed his style in the genres of Social Surrealism, Mysticism and Symbolism. Rua’s work has followed a personal inner journey on the river of the mind. This has dealt with the process of separation, vulnerability, empowerment and integration. From 1995 to 2011, Rua set up a Studio / Gallery called Toko Mata (The Visionary Post) in central Christchurch, which was a very creative, innovative and prolific period in his art making. From 2000 to the present time, Rua developed shaped wooden formats artworks, inspired by the natural world to paint on, with layered mixed media underpainting. Many of these works were reproduced in the book, Whispers of Waitaha, in 2006. From his new studio, Ko Te Ätärangi Puawänanga i runga i te mata o te Rä kapakapa kura (the flower of knowledge silhouetted on the face of the beating red sun), 2011 – to the present time, Rua has taken up Whakairo wood, bone and stone carving, mostly creating Taonga Puoro (traditional sound instruments), also playing these Puoro exploring their primal healing sounds. This has led to the forming of the Waitaha Taonga Puoro collective Kiki Pounamu in 2021, releasing two albums in 2021 and 2022. This year he embarked on a new venture with partner Tuarahonu, called
Hubcap Guitars by Paul Allen.
Totara Wera by Rua Pick. Raukarekare, utilising both the healing arts of Mirimiri and Puoro together, creating a new sound healing space called Te Whare o Mohua. He is currently creating a new art gallery called Te Mokoroa. See advertisement in this issue for further details.
Immigration New Zealand Accredited Employer Evening Session All welcome to join. Hosted by Darfield Farm. From 04 July 2022, if you are not an Immigration New Zealand Accredited Employer, you will not be able to support work visas.
Immigration New Zealand is changing the way work visas are assessed. As a result, most new work visa applications, including migrants already in New Zealand, will need to be made through an Immigration New Zealand Accredited Employer. If you currently employ migrant workers or need to do so in the future, you may need to be Accredited.
Darfield Farm will be hosting a free event with Licensed Immigration Adviser, Jeremy Clapp, so that we can all better understand what these changes will mean for our local businesses.
Date: Thursday, 9th June 2022 Time: 6:30pm Where: 3049 West Coast Rd, RD1, Darfield
Meet at the barn. Coffee/tea & light refreshments provided.
To register for this event please text Tracey on 027 344 8935.
